The past will never be forgotten
by Aline82
Summary: A journalist from Earth wants to tell the story of the war against Clark. She therefore travels to Babylon 5 and interviews the old gang. What will she reveal? It's my first fic, please be nice. Will become an IM story later.
1. The beginning

**"The past will never be forgotten"**

Disclaimer: It all belongs to the great JMS. I just borrowed my favourite characters to play a little. I'll hand them back when I'm finished with this 

Author's note: This is my first fan fiction. Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are hurtful. I have to add that English is not my native language; therefore it would be helpful to inform me about any bigger language faults. The original character, I invented will hopefully not end up as a Mary Sue. If you see the tendency of it, please let me know. But let's get started now. **I'm very sorry. I had to rewrite the first two chapters. It won't change a lot in continuity but I felt obliged to inform you. I changed some things that I disliked for their lack of style.**

Spoilers: The facts that I mention are only taken from the TV series, not from the movies, as I didn't watch them all.

Chapter one: Talking about the past

Babylon 5, October 2265

The young woman had just arrived on the space station, checked in with customs and she was already entirely impressed with the sheer size of the place. It had been her very first journey to space, so her amazement and utter fascination with everything she saw was rather high.

"Excuse me; I have a meeting scheduled with the President in two hours. Could you please tell me, where I can find him?" she asked an officer at the customs.

"Ma'am, you will find him in the green sector. If you want to, diplomatic guests receive a guard. So you can be escorted there." The officer answered and checked her personal dates given on the identycard. "Okay, Miss Anderson. Have a nice day."

The young woman smiled thankfully; she didn't think she could have found green sector on her own. Inwardly she had to grin, as she had never considered herself to be a diplomatic guest.

Escorted by the security officer she reached the President's office early. She intended to wait outside for the next couple of hours until she was to meet President Sheridan. Suddenly a tall man in his late forties arrived. The young woman just glanced at him for a fragment of a second but could feel an unexplainable aura of authority and kindness, both at the same time. He looked at her waiting at the door of his office.

"Oh, were you waiting for me, Miss?" he asked and smiled kiendly at her.

"Well, yes, Sir. But I arrived early." She answered (early," she replied shyly. She noticed she hadn't told him who she was. "I'm Katie Anderson, Mr. President." She added.

"Oh yes, the meeting was about some historic research wasn't it?" said the President as he led the way to his office and gestured Katie to sit down. The room was decorated in a rather neutral way. There were almost no personal things of the President in his office. No photos or pictures covered the walls. The only decorative items to be found in the office was the emblem of the Interstellar Alliance on the wall behind Sheridan's desk and some plants in the corners that looked like the needed water urgently.

"You know, it's been a while since I've last worked on the station. You're rather lucky to catch me here."

"Mr. President, I would have travelled all the way to Minbar, if that was the only place I could have met with you."

Sheridan watched the young woman sitting across the table with great interest. He couldn't lose the feeling that he knew her, perfectly aware that her name didn't ring a bell. She could not be older than 25 years old. Her small frame made her appear somewhat vulnerable and fragile. The contrast of her pale skin and dark brown hair added greatly to this effect. She seemed to be a more introverted person, judging on her very polite manners.

"Well, let's not stress the matter. What did you want to ask me?" demanded John Sheridan.

"I want to do a research on the war against Clark. I was a student in Oxford at the time and had no realistic chance to be involved. Right now, with a certain distance to all what happened, I feel bound to report about it. There are still a lot of rumours and prejudices back at home. I want to tell the truth."

"And what exactly do you want to write? I very much hope you don't want to create a kind of heroic story about Babylon 5. Neither do I hope you want to write rubbish about us." Sheridan added smiling diplomatically.

"That's not my intention. I wanted to tell the story from the perspective of one really great man, who can't tell the story by himself." Sadness clouded the young woman's eyes. "I learned about his tragic story when I did some research on Earth. There were just fragments of information about him, but what I learned, moved me very much. He has just a tiny part in this whole story, but what he did, changed a lot."

"To whom do you refer?" asked Sheridan. He had the feeling that he knew already, but he let her finish.

"I am talking about Marcus Cole, who, as I just learned a few weeks ago, was a cousin of my mother."

tbc-

Author's note: I really need a beta reader. I kind of struggle with the language from time to time but intend to continue in English.


	2. Getting to know Babylon 5

**Chapter 2**

**Authors note: This chapter underwent some slight changes, too. I fixed the timing problem on the Zocalo and added some small things. There are only minor changes, but I didn't feel at ease with the old version. **

Katie walked back to her new quarters. She was now an officially invited guest of the President of the Interstellar Alliance. She found it hard to believe. Sheridan had asked her to stay at the station and work on her project; and, as if this wasn't a huge honour by itself, he had invited her to join him and his wife for dinner. Katie was rather nervous when she thought of meeting the very mysterious Delenn. The Minbari was a legend a very common conversation topic among educated people back on Earth.

Katie finally arrived at her quarters and noticed the little luggage she had left with the guard near Sheridan's office had already been brought there. Glancing around, the young woman took in every detail of the small but decent room. There was very little decoration, but the sofa and furniture looked rather modern and expensive.

"Wow, being a diplomat means luxury even in the narrowest place in the universe." She dropped her handbag on the small table and sat down on the sofa. Running her fingers through her dark hair, she let out a sigh, reconsidering her initial meeting with Sheridan.

"_You mean you really are a relative of Marcus?" the President asked flabbergasted. "We all thought he had no family. That's what he told us."_

"_I know this is hard to believe. I wouldn't believe it either, if someone told me this before. I came across these facts by accident." Katie sighed heavily and continued with a slightly shaking voice. "I lost my whole family in this war. My brother was killed on Proxima 3. When my parents got notice about his death, they joined an underground group to deprive Clark from his power. But they were uncovered and killed without even having the chance to see a courtroom. I was totally on my own. So I did some investigation about my family and found a connection to the Coles. As I researched them, I stumbled on some information that pointed towards Marcus. It mentioned a group called the Rangers, but it was really difficult to find anything concrete. But then, when I had a look at some medical reports, I found his recent whereabouts. It left me devastated and curious at the same time. I want to know who he was."_

"_This sounds convincing however, I'll need to know exactly how you got this information. The medical records of Babylon 5 are supposed to be confidential." With a small smile Sheridan added, "but I think this runs in your family." Leaning back in his seat Sheridan took some notes._

"_So, will I get the chance to do this story?" asked Katie with a nervous smile._

"_Well, I'll of course have my people check your story and then we will discuss this matter more thoroughly. But for this moment I want you to have dinner with me and my wife. I want to know more about _you."

As Katie was planning on staying longer on Babylon 5, she unpacked some personal things and took the photos of her family to the bedroom. She placed them on the nightstand and had a long, thoughtful look at them. One picture showed herself, her parents and her older brother. It had been taken a long time ago, when Victor first joined Earth Force. The young man with dark brown hair and green eyes looked so confident and invulnerable that Katie still could not understand how such a strong man could have been killed.

When she looked at the other picture, she could not help herself from crying. The photo showed herself and her parents at her first day at the University of Oxford. She felt so proud and full of hope while she was there. She would have never dreamed that it would be the last time, that she saw her parents. Now, five years later, she felt absolutely alone in this universe. There was no one she could tell her plans and dreams, no one who would want to listen to her sorrows. She hardly had stayed in contact with her friends from university. She didn't want anyone to pity her for what had happened to her family. But a long time ago, Katie had decided not to cry for herself. She wanted to be strong – for her family. They had all been very proud personalities who would not have mourned for such a long time. They would have moved on and have looked at new chances to reach for the stars. Katie didn't feel so strong but tried to act more like them each day.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and pulled Katie out of her daydreaming. "Open." She said.

"Miss Anderson. I am Lt. Commander Corwin. The captain has sent me to show you some of the interesting parts of the station. Would you like to have a tour around?"

"Why would the captain send you? I'm not her guest. Nor am I a representative of Earth Force."

"Well, I normally don't question orders. But I think Captain Lochley wants to see whether you are dangerous or not." A wide grin could be seen on the officers' face.

"Well, I'd love to have a tour, but I'm afraid I don't have much time. I have a meeting in about forty minutes."

"I suggest visiting the Zocalo. Any other things of interest for you, we may visit another time." Corwin offered.

Hesitating for a moment, Katie straightened and followed the officer.

They walked down to the lift in order to get to the Zocalo. "What you're about to see might be slightly overwhelming. To be honest, even after several years on Babylon 5 I still appreciate this crazy place."

"Oh, really? How long have you been here?" Katie asked, regaining her journalistic curiosity. They had arrived at the Zocalo in the meantime and Katie was stunned by the great variety of smells and colours. She tried to also focus on one or the other voices of passer-bys but hardly could place their languages. Corwin smiled at her astonishment. It amused the officer that every visitor reacted the same way when confronted with the Zocalo.

"Well, I arrived in 2258 and have hardly left the station since." He answered her question trying to regaining her attention.

"You never have some time off?"

"Well, yes. But I grew up on Earth and so I know it pretty well. Whenever I get the chance, I travel further away from home. Perhaps I'll go back someday, but in the meantime, I want to see as much as possible of the universe." The blue eyes of the young man shone with enthusiasm.

"Indeed? But you hardly see new parts of the universe while sticking around here for over 7 years."

"That's true." Corwin admitted but smiled even wider "Still I've never worked with better people than here. You know, the times when President Sheridan still ran this place, it was the best time of my life. I learned so much from him." The expression in Corwin's face changed slightly when he added. "And I guess I would not be the officer I am today, if I hadn't served under Commander Ivanova."

"How so?"

"Commander Ivanova was the perfect example of a First Officer. She always demanded 120 out of everybody and worked harder than anyone else. She had a cruel sense of humour, but she was always fair."

"You say 'she was'. I thought she survived the war. At least, that's what I heard."

"She survived, but she left us for good. She took over the command of a ship and never came back to Babylon 5." Looking around, Corwin noticed that they had already arrived at the Zocalo. "Oh, I guess I ruined your first impression of this place. It's best to take in all of it without being disturbed by the reminiscence of an old soldier."

"Old soldier, how can you be old?" Katie retorted smilingly. "But I'm afraid I have to leave. Or better, it would be nice if you could show me the way back to the green sector. I am to meet the President and his wife in their quarters in about 20 minutes. I don't want to be late."

Perfectly on time, Katie arrived at the Sheridans' place. She was greeted with much hospitality and kindness. The young woman tried to not stare at the the President's strange Minbari wife. She had heard a lot about Delenn and was more or less prepared to what she saw. But nevertheless, it was hard for her not to cast curious glances at the elegant and calm person sitting across the table. It was no surprise that Katie jerked her head up when Delenn finally addressed her directly. "You want to report about that terrible war your people experienced?"

"Yes, Ma'am and as I wish to tell the story of a Ranger, I wanted to ask you for information and advice." Katie answered more directly than she wanted to.

When Delenn answered, sorrow and grief were noticeable in her voice. "Yes, I know that you want to talk about Marcus. He was a great man and a very honourable one too." Looking directly into Katie's eyes she added It is still sad to think of him. What he did in his life and when he died was very tragic. But it was his way."

Sheridan brought a little wooden box to the table. "Delenn kept this from Marcus. As his last living relative, you have a right to get these. They are the data crystals he had in his room. I guess it is his diary and other personal information. If you want to use them for your report, please handle them with care. It could mention persons who do not live here any longer."

Katie took the little box and watched it thoughtfully. "So you believe me, that I am his cousin, I mean."

"I got word from a friend of mine on Earth. He backed your story up. Welcome to Babylon 5, Miss Anderson. You will get all the support you need to honour this man."

tbc-

New chapters in progress :-)


	3. Memories

**Author's note**:I'm sorry for the delay. My little hamster (called Hermione)was very ill and finally died last week. I simply wasn't in the mood to write or edit this chapter. But now, my mind is clear again and I want to get on with this story.

**Chapter 3:Memories**

Katie sat in the dark of her quarter. It was already well past midnight but she still could not sleep. Holding one of the data crystals John Sheridan had given her, she stared at the Babcom terminal frustratedly. The young journalist was anxious to her hear her cousin's voice but dreaded it at the same time. What would she learn about her very last relative? Had he been as kind a person as the family she had already lost or would she discover a completely different person than she expected?

Thoughts of her own family, especially her older brother Victor crossed her mind and brought tears of sorrow to her shining green eyes. "You'll never complete this task if you hesitate to look at the material you need to get started, Anderson." She told herself aloud and pushed the data crystal into the drive.

"Voice records of Marcus Cole. Date January to May 2260" the display said. The computer then listed some records in different folders. Katie wondered what some of the strange titles were supposed to mean.

"Ivanova incidents 1 to 235. Mission reports January to May 2260. Personal log." Katie murmured and wondered "What the heck are Ivanova Incidents?" She wanted to choose one of these records but then decided to check for the very first file on the crystal. Holding her breath she activated one of the log files from early January 2260.

"_Babylon 5. I heard a lot about this place. I've already been here twice already, but today I officially met En'thilza Delenn for the first time. I guess that makes this visit to the station my officially first one. Well, the good news is Delenn wants me to stay on Babylon 5. I didn't object of course. Well, how could anyone object to anything this woman says? Her authority is remarkable. And anyways she's the One. On the other hand important decisions are taken here and a lot of information can be gathered here. So I think I landed somehow in the middle of anything but have to stay out of the attention of anyone. But this won't be a problem. I escaped from Security for the third time today. I think they are a bit out of shape if the can't catch me. Or am I to good for them? I simply walked out of Medlab without anyone noticing it. Or are the doctors to slow? Just kidding of course. Anyways, I will do my very best not to upset these folks too much in the future. We're on the same side after all._

_To me, it seems like very tough people are in command in this place. The captain is a very correct and upright person and seems to know his job. Delenn thinks only the best of him. I have a feeling that she is not absolutely unbiased concerning him. They exchange glances I don't doubt to be of a more private nature._

_The captain also has a very loyal second in command. Her name is Susan Ivanova. I don't really know whether to think of her as an angel or as the devil himself. True, she is a very beautiful and graceful woman she seems to be a bit uptight, however, and in good need of a sense of humor. I guess it would be a bad decision to annoy her when she is in a bad mood. But, perhaps it is worth a try at least. I guess a bit of teasing wouldn't do much harm._

_Only knowing her for a couple of hours she already occupies a large part of my thoughts. What does that mean?_

_- End of records -_

Katie had tears in her eyes. Hearing her cousin's voice had moved her more than she had expected. The soft and dark voice had reminded her very much of her brother. But something in the words of the Ranger had moved her even more. He had a passion in his voice that Katie could not really put into words. It seemed he had maintained an extremely sharp mind when it came to seeing the true personality in the people around him. "He surely must have been a very kind and caring person," Katie murmured into the darkness of her lonely room.

tbc-

**Authors note**: A very short chapter, but I felt it alright with the ending. The next one is in progress and will be finished in the next few days.

To my two beta readers **LaDiNi** and **Fondued Jicama**: Thank you two for your effort and your help. I guess you really bring out the best of my story. Thank you not only for the corrections but also for the ideas and hints. I hope we can keep on with the good work like that.

**Thank you to all who have reviewed!**

**Hilary Weston**: I hope to have a bit more of Marcus himself in the story but I really want to know what you think about these data files. And perhaps you noticed that I went back on chapter 2 and fixed the Zocalo problem. :-)

**Natters**: I read your stories before, so I am delighted that you read mine, too.

**LaDiNi**: There will definitely be more of Corwin, whom I liked, too.

**Aubrey W. Adkins**: Thanks for offering to beta. But I already found two wonderful beta readers and I think two will do. No offence please.


	4. A reporter's job

A few days after her first glimpse at the data crystals she had gotten from President Sheridan, Katie sat in a café at the Zocalo. This time she could take in all the scents, colours and voices around her. She had never seen a place stranger than this. She could see a Drazi trader offering some statues and chandeliers to a Brakiri customer who didn't seem to be so delighted by the price expectations. At least, that was what Katie assumed from watching the scenery.

As she had not gotten in contact with Aliens before, she couldn't distinguish a quarrel from a negotiation between members of different species just from watching them. She felt sure that this would be a problem for her if she wanted to stay on Babylon 5 and more directly stay out of trouble. The young journalist sighed and wanted to concentrate on the huge pile of work ahead and in front of her. Next to her cup of tea she had piled up notepads, antique paper notebooks and some schemes she was working on. She had looked through so much data without real organizing that she had to go back for each bit of information she had scribbled down on random pieces of paper within the last two months. That was at least her intention until she got interrupted in her thoughts.

"Hello Miss Anderson." Katie looked up at the person who had called for her.

"Oh hello, Commander Corwin, how are you." She answered politely inwardly cursing the young officer for destroying her peaceful working atmosphere.

"Thanks, I'm fine. To be honest, it almost gets boring out here right now. It's as calm and peaceful like it hasn't been for ages. What about you?"

"Well, I was trying to get some work done. But this place is somewhat distracting. You were absolutely right. The Zocalo is overwhelming."

Corwin looked around and watched the same scenery like Katie did before. The Drazi and the Brakiri were still indulged in their deep discussion. Corwin glanced back at the journalist. "You know, I always ask myself whether or not I'm misinterpreting this whole thing. After all these years, I still can't tell you from a distance what these guys are up to. Are they arguing, are they negotiating or are they simply telling mean jokes about our uniforms?"

Katie smiled at this comment. _"Perhaps this place isn't too strange after all. At least some of the humans can be understood."_

"Well, you said, you were trying to get some work done. I don't want to detain you from doing your job." Corwin already wanted to leave, but Katie said "No, it's okay. I have a very nice publisher who doesn't threaten me with a deadline so far. It would be nice if you could just stay here for a while and tell me some things."

Corwin sat down next to Katie and looked at her curiously. "What do you want me to tell you? I know that you're a journalist and doing some sort of story about the civil war. But I don't think I have anything of interest to tell you."

"You shouldn't be too sure of that, Mr. Corwin." Katie answered with a smile. "Everyone on this station has a story. It's not always the hero in the shining armour whose story is of interest. Sometimes the bystanders or the people in the background have things to tell that are far more fascinating and interesting than anyone would guess."

"I never thought of it like that. But I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell"

"I'm not the one to tell stories but to collect them. My life isn't so interesting. The stories of all of you here on Babylon 5 are far more fascinating than anything I could ever come up with." Katie replied shyly. She thought about the things she experienced in the recent years and added slowly and thoughtfully "A lot of things have happened. Not only here in the middle of everything, but also back at home on Earth. We all underwent some grave changes and had some really tough months, but even though I still think your stories must be a little more exciting and important than the things an innocent student can tell about her time at a university."

Katie closed her old block of notes firmly and forced a smile to the young officer on the opposite side of the table. "What was it like to break away from Earth? You must have been quite young those days."

Corwin leant back in his chair as if reconsidering those days in 2260, when Babylon 5 declared its independence from Earth. "I was really young and didn't see the big picture. I had been promoted to Lieutenant in early 2260 and had become a real part of the staff. They started to really notice me and my work. But still they didn't let me become a part of the group."

"To whom do you refer by "they"?" Katie asked and activated her voice recorder. "I hope this is okay with you?"

"Oh, it's all right and "they" were Captain Sheridan, Commander Susan Ivanova and Security Chief Garibaldi." Corwin answered a little tenser than before. "I'm sorry Miss Anderson, but I'm not really used to being interviewed. This whole thing is a little strange to me."

"Oh, don't care about the recorder. No one will hear it. I just don't like to take notes during a conversation. Like this, I feel more honest. I won't change what you want to say by taking wrong notes." Katie tried to assure the officer. "What did you actually feel when you got to know you were independent from Earth. You served EarthForce those days and from one day to the other your superiors had decided not to do so anymore."

"They were really fair to all of us." Corwin replied seriously. "The captain went to C&C, which is Command and Control, and informed us about the break away from Earth. He let us decide whether or not we wanted to continue our work. He knew about the consequences and let us decide on our own."

"What made you stay?"

"I don't really know. Maybe I was up to an adventure, maybe I believed Captain Sheridan. It is hard to say. Today I know it was correct to stay. Clark produced a horrible mess on Earth – but that particular day I didn't know. It was much later when the Captain informed us about the details he and his men knew before what the common crew had not known."

"So you felt more loyal towards your Captain than towards your government?"

"Well, you have to respond to the Chain of Command. And normally you don't question your superior. If this superior carries the name Susan Ivanova you better not do this anyways. But aside from this, I trusted Sheridan and his decisions and the ones of his staff without a doubt." Lt. Commander Corwin took a sip from the water a waitress had brought to the table some moments earlier. He usually only drank water when he came to this café while in uniform. That is how the waitress had brought the drink even without asking.

"It seems like they know you quite well here." commented Katie with a smile.

"Well, I've lived here for quite some time now. I really like this place. Aside from the "Fresh Air" this is the nicest place for dining out or just relaxing after your shift in C&C. And "Fresh Air" is a bit too exclusive to visit frequently."

"I heard someone mention that place. Sounds like a great restaurant if you want to enjoy yourself. Have you ever been there?"

"Once or twice, I almost invited Commander Ivanova to go there with me."

"How can you invite someone "almost"?"

"After my promotion to Lieutenant, the Commander wanted to get to know to me – as she phrased it – on a more personal basis. I misunderstood this as a date and wanted to impress her. But in the end she invited me to her quarters and more or less only wanted to know my opinion about obeying to orders and questioning the Chain of Command. That particular moment I was really confused, but today I know that she only wanted to know whether I was trustworthy or not."

"Sounds like Susan Ivanova is a very impressive person."

"She is. It's really a pity that she left the station after the war. Not that I want to complain about Captain Lochley, but Captain Lochley simply can't understand what a time we went through. She will always be the Commander who arrived after or phase of independence. Aside from that Commander Ivanova had a killing sense of humour."

"I get the impression you had a little crush on her." Katie teased the officer and took her cup. Taking a sip Katie grimaced when tasting the fake coffee. "Do you really call this coffee?"

"Well, Commander Ivanova grew some coffee on the station. It was illegal, of course. But it was the only coffee on Babylon 5 that you could actually drink. And of course I had no crush on my superior officer. I only respected and still respect her a lot. She set an example that I considered to be very good."

"Sorry, Commander, I didn't want to offend you with my teasing. It sounded a bit more than professional when you said it but then I never had a mentor, let alone one to inspire such loyalty." Katie being a journalist normally didn't apologize for a faux pas like this. "I guess I have to get going. I want to do some research with the help of my computer. I will see you around, I guess."

Katie grabbed her notes and switched off her recorder. She threw some credits on the table to pay both for her and Corwin's drink and started to walk away. Having almost left the café she noticed Corwin following her. "If you ever want to have a real cup of coffee, I'd be pleased to invite you."

"You also grow coffee plants on B5?" Katie asked curiously. A wide grin spread on Corwin's face. He leaned down to Katie and answered in a low and conspiratorial voice "I didn't plant them; Commander Ivanova passed them on to me when she left the station."

"That means you don't commit the crime yourself. But I'll come back to you on this offer." Katie left the Zocalo with a happy and very content smile. At this moment she wasn't only happy about the progress in her work.

A few hours later the young journalist skipped through her voice records. She looked for a particular one that she had recorded shortly before coming to Babylon 5. Having found the file she instructed the computer to open it.

_Voice record n°21. Date: September, 17th 2265_

"_You know why I wanted to talk to you, Dr. Franklin?" _

"_Oh, yes. I read your request and I have to admit that I'm really delighted. There are only very few people who care about the people in the background. Normally they only look for the heroes in shining armours."_

"_I want to be honest, doctor. I don't only do this out of sheer generosity. I also have a personal interest in this issue. Mr. Cole was a distant relative of me. I hope you can accept that I don't only want to know about him for professional reasons but also because he was an estranged part of my family."_

"_I prefer answering your questions because of your personal interest. I know you are a scribe, but if you just wanted to write about my friend for money, I really doubt that you would get an honest answer from me. By the way, I already have checked your profile. You really are a relative of Marcus. Before you feel obliged to ask where I got your profile from. Your editor in chief sent me your data some days ago."_

"_Thank you Dr. Franklin. As there are no more doubts concerning my intents I would like to start the interview."_

"_Okay, what do you want to know?"_

"_Were you close friends with Marcus?"_

"_You could say so. I mean, he wasn't someone to become friends with easily."_

"_How was that so?"_

"_He was very different from what I was used to in people. He was a very spiritual and intellectual guy. He quoted ancient Earth literature – preferably Old English all the time to underline his points. He hardly ever told you directly his opinion but rather quoted from highly sophisticated literature. Perhaps this had something to do with his opinion about his place in the universe. He looked for someone bigger and more important to use as reference. It was nothing you could deal with easily, to be honest. I hardly ever knew the books he referred to in his little speeches. I'm not so much into literature and his educated manners sometimes annoyed me. It made me feel quite dumb next to him."_

"_This doesn't sound like a basis for a friendship to me."_

"_Well, Marcus was very clever in theory and he had only the best intentions. But he did so many silly things. He kind of needed someone to watch over him, someone who could at least try to stop him before he could do another risky stunt that would endanger his health or even his life."_

"_So he was a philosopher with the tendency to get into trouble."_

"_Exactly, and this was unnerving. But the worst he became was when he started ranting about Susan."_

"_Was she his girlfriend?"_

"_I wish it had come so far. He was passionately in love with her. Susan Ivanova was the Second in Command on Babylon 5 and I guess Marcus was in love with her from the very first moment on when he came to the station."_

"_Is she the very Susan Ivanova whose life he saved? Didn't he die because of a crazy stunt he therefore committed?"_

"_Yes she is. But if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about this particular topic."_

"_Alright. Then tell me something about what kind of adventure you got into with him."_

"_We often worked together when some of the lurkers in Downbelow got into trouble. I guess Marcus and I were pretty much the only people who cared for their wellbeing."_

"_Excuse me, what are lurkers? And what is Downbelow?"_

"_B5 is divided in different parts. There are the military, diplomatic and business sectors. Other parts include maintenance and all this stuff you need to keep such a big tin can working. Downbelow is the part that wasn't really needed but was built. Lurkers are the people living in this part of B5. Most of them come there to seek for a second chance, a new life. But a lot of them fail. "_

"_This doesn't sound like the greatest achievement in modern society to me."_

"_No it doesn't. And we all should be ashamed for this lack in interest and compassion."_

"_Well, you indicated that not everyone had to be ashamed."_

"_No, Marcus cared a lot for them. He had a lot of contacts in Downbelow to gather information. And spending a lot of time there he also made friends with quite a number of lurkers. Whenever anyone of the crew said something less tolerant about the inhabitants of Downbelow he or she could be sure to be lectured by Marcus. He was very protective over his friends. He could argue for ages about something he felt was correct or important. He was a very honourable man. In fact, I guess this is how I saw the typical English knight of the medieval you hear about in tales and legends."_

"_I thought you didn't care about literature."_

"_Well I didn't care those days. But Marcus recommended me some very interesting books and now, having only memories of him and the good old days, I tend to follow his recommendation. Sometimes it is as If he speaks through the lines of these ancient books."_

"_He must have been quite a wise guy."_

"_No he wasn't. As I told you before, he was clever even intellectual. But he definitely wasn't wise. He was foolish and didn't care for his own wellbeing. In fact, he gave too much and never asked for anything in return. He never wanted anything for himself. My mom once told me you could divide mankind into two parts, those who give and those who take. Marcus was definitely a person who only gives things to others. Perhaps he even gave too much, way too much."_

"_What do you mean "he gave too much"?"_

"_He very often risked his life in order to save others. That's how his own life ended. He already lived this way before the end. But it was so tragic and hurting." _

"_But isn't this how we define heroes and martyrs?"_

"_That's just words. He left so many tasks unfinished, so many words unsaid."_

"_But the Rangers live to serve others, don't they?"_

"_That's true. But what he left unfinished was his personal life. The things he should have said but never dared to do so."_

"_How did you learn about his death?"_

"_I found his dead body lying in B5"s medlab 1. If I had been back faster on the station I could have saved him. Just 5 minutes, it was no more than 5 minutes that I was too late. I would have been able to rescue him."_

"_How exactly would you have been able to rescue him?"_

"_You're a very good journalist, Miss Anderson. You've almost got me there to really tell you all about this incident. But I can't tell you about it. Please respect it. I will just tell you so much. He spared his life in order to save Susan Ivanova's. He succeeded. She lives. But there is so much pain. Marcus was a very good man, honourable and compassionate. He was my friend. One of the best friends one can ever meet. It still hurts a lot to think of him and his death. But some things simply can't be changed."_

"_So there is no more you want to tell me about this issue?"_

"_So far I don't think I'll be of much more help. But if you want to contact me again, don't hesitate to do so."_

"_Thank you, Doctor. I'll take you up on your offer."_

_End of record_

Katie reconsidered the words of Corwin and Doctor Franklin. She wanted to know more about Susan Ivanova and her connection to Marcus. What was it that caused Marcus' death? Did he really spare his life in order to save Susan Ivanova? If it was so, what could probably make him do such a thing? And why didn't anyone want to talk about the affair? Katie was sure to be the one to reveal the secret behind the mysterious words of Stephen Franklin. And she also wanted to have a real cup of coffee, again.

tbc

Author's note: This was the longest chapter so far, and I'm proud of it :-) The next one is halfway done and will probably be online within a week (can't promise anything..I have an exam due next week and so far studying goes well)

To my wonderful beta readers **LaDiNi** and **FonduedJicama**: Thank you both very much. You helped me a lot to scratch out the nasty little mistakes.

**Bud**: I know, the first three chapters were quite short, but I really hope you like this one…it was 7 pages on MS Word.

**samcarter 2**: Thanks for the compliment and thanks for adding me to you favourite's list (this is really great for my ego) :-)

**HilaryWeston**: I tend to respond to advice given to me. But I also feel better about the earlier chapters right now. I just have to keep in mind to stay tuned to the surroundings. Concerning Marcus' log entries I think I will concentrate on the Ivanova incidents, as they are promising more fun than the other things. But I want to use at least one of the "difficult" personal logs in a later chapter.

**DsignG4**:(Did you notice the change;-))To be honest, I was mistaken to be British when I talked to Americans and and the other way round while talking to British. It was a funny experience to explain them I was neither from the UK nor from the US. But I guess you spotted my weak point in writing. This is truly something I have to work on. I normally write things down that come to my mind and it depends whether I just read a British or American book and what kind of DVD I watched before. Delenn is one of the most difficult characters to write (that's why you won't see much of her in my story :-) ) The second remark: Marcus' records are audio only. I guess I missed to tell this before. But all of the records that Katie uses are audio only. I will put this in my next chapter. I pictured the whole thing to work just like my own voice recorder…which is of course audio only. Oh and please update your story soon. I really want to know where you will go with it.

Anyone who knows or even speaks British English (perhaps a native speaker), please contact me (e-mail address as seen in my profile). I want to improve my story and my language skills. And I really don't want to use my Harry Potter books as the source of common British English talks.


	5. Digging deeper in the past

Chapter 5

Once again, Katie sat in her quarters past midnight, researching the private data crystals of Marcus Cole. She was eager t find out what the so called Ivanova incidents contained. While listening to his regular log entries, which only contained rather boring mission reports and general thoughts about the status on the shadow war (as far as she had reached listening to them, some point in late 2260), Marcus had often referred to the attached information in the incidents folder.

Switching to this folder, Katie opened an audio file titled "Ivanova incidents part one, 2260". She pushed the button and the records started.

"_February 13th, 2260. This is the personal archive of Marcus Cole." _The soft voice of the Ranger could be heard. Katie closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Just in case something interesting would be mentioned she grabbed her block of notes and a pencil. She immediately started to nervously chew on the end of the pencil, an annoying habit a lot of journalists used to sport.

"_First of all, I feel obliged to explain the necessity for these extra entries in my log. Since having been stationed on Babylon 5 my daily routine of working, eating and occasionally sleeping has undergone some changes. As often as I go on missions for either Delenn or Captain Sheridan, I have to face the rather disturbing hostility from the captain's second, Commander Susan Ivanova. I don't know where that comes from, but she never has a friendly word for me. Perhaps that improves as time goes by. I think she only needs to know me a little better._

_For now, I think she doesn't trust me the slightest, so I guess it would be better not to meet her wrath. Recently, I was assigned to go on a mission with her. So if I don't survive working with her, I guess, it's better to have an archive of information. They might need help to find the murderer. No, I don't think she would really do me any harm, only severe pain. When I look at her, she always carries so much determination; I don't really dare to get in her way when she's angry. It is rather tempting to tease her though. I do enjoy my life – at least sometimes – and I now I kind of risk my life challenging her, but it is just too much fun not to._

_Am I babbling? Probably. But I find it hard sometimes to not get all wobbly in my mind when I think of her. Did she cast a spell on me? She is kind of slightly red headed, so she could be a witch after all. _

_Okay and I'm King Arthur? I don't know; she confuses me a lot._

_End of entry"_

_Ivanova incidents n° 2_

"_This is it. This woman is totally nuts. Teasing a First One and risking all of our lives. She has nerves, at least when it comes to godlike creatures. _

"_Zog? Is it No Zog or Yes Zog?" I've never felt nearer to death than I did in that moment. Still, I had this urge to laugh aloud. I could have kissed her when we really made it. We got the first "First Ones" on our side. Now is that really a sentence? The first "First Ones"? I don't know. But anyways, had I dared to kiss Susan – oh, I meant Commander Ivanova – I wouldn't be able to record this. She sometimes sports a glare I think "killed by a glance" would describe it perfectly._

Katie switched off the records. She decided to look further into the topic of the "First Ones". But before she would concentrate on this issue she wanted to know more about the strange relationship between Marcus and Susan Ivanova. After hearing more people talk about the two of them, she was sure something went on between them. The young woman really hoped that her cousin had acted on his feelings. She didn't really know what it must have been like to be secretly in love with someone, but she could imagine it to be annoying.

What impressed her even more than the comic tone to Marcus' data entries was his very clear and straight English accent. As far as she knew his family had left Earth over a hundred years ago, and yet his heritage was clearly present in his speech. Katie herself had lost a lot of her original speech. She had lived almost all of her live abroad, mostly in Switzerland. Her parents had been working in the city of Geneva more precisely in the government facilities of EarthDome. Katie's father was an English representative in the government whereas her mother had worked for ISN until the offices of the station was occupied by Clark's forces. The memory of her parents made Katie very sad, still too fresh were her wounds of losing all members of her family within so short time.

She had lived a carefree childhood and early youth. Being born to privileged parents still had its advantages in the 23rd century. She had been to exclusive schools in England and later in Switzerland. She was educated in several Earth languages such as her mother tongue English, French, Italian and even German (a language she didn't like so much for its horribly difficult grammar). Furthermore had she been well protected by her older brother, whom she dearly missed. But then, by her 22nd birthday all the world she knew and loved had lain shattered and broken. Her mother killed by Clark's Special Forces, her brother killed during the attacks at Proxima 3 and her father had died while trying to join the underground forces in EarthDome. Had her father not sent Katie a message encouraging her to stay low key and not engage in any battle, Katie would probably have died while fighting the regime, too.

But only once she had obeyed her parents' advice. It had left her wounded (she often had blamed herself for not taking any action against the regime), but in the end she had grown on her experience. The nightmares had faded away about one year ago and Katie managed to keep herself as busy as possible to not let them surface again. It was a rather lonely life she lived, but she didn't want anyone pitying her for her past. So she didn't normally talk about her own life but instead listened to the stories of others.

Still deeply buried in her memories Katie played with the pendant of her necklace. The little cross had been a gift from her parents and she never took it off. Sometimes the young journalist thought it would help her thinking. But the simple truth was it occupied her nervous hands. Either way, Katie often got the most brilliant ideas sitting at her desk and fiddling about her pendant. At this particular moment she instinctively decided on a new file to listen to.

_Ivanova incident n° "I gave up counting"_

_Tonight the most peculiar thing in the universe happened. I wished she had been sober. But would she have done this without alcohol loosening her up? I have my doubts. Well, anyways, what I want to say, Susan kissed me. It was not the passionate, breathtaking and forget-about-the-rest-of-the-universe kind of kiss, but it was clearly a kiss – directly on my lips._

_To clarify the situation I have to admit that we all had a certain intake of alcohol. Yesterday we defeated both the Vorlons and the Shadows and kicked them out of our part of the universe. Heaven knows, where they went to. Or, more precisely Lorien is supposed to know about it. But they went away. And that's everything that matters for now. Okay, and to me, it also matters that Susan kissed me._

_We were all at Earhart's having a fantastic and intoxicating party. It was well past midnight when I wanted to leave the scenery. Before I could reach the lift, Susan grabbed my arm and said something to me that I understood as "You're a great warrior and a handsome man." But perhaps that's only what I wanted to hear from her, so I understood it that way. She couldn't speak very clearly or even look straight ahead. So she maybe said something else. But she certainly wasn't her usual grouchy self. I simply stood there in the hallway still trying to figure out what she was telling me when she suddenly firmly grabbed my face with both of her hands and placed a kiss on my lips. The next thing I remember clearly is that I stood in the lift and the doors closed. Sometimes I hate the lifts on B5. These doors close exactly at the wrong moments. But isn't there a saying "For every door that closes, a window is opened"? Well, I so much wished for the window to appear but it didn't. And the worst of it all, Susan won't remember the kiss. And if she remembers it, she will deny that it happened. What a pity. Sometimes I think the universe is unfair!_

Katie was surprised to hear this. So, they really had a romantic interlude at some point. But judging from Dr. Franklin's statement, this kiss didn't lead into a relationship. At least he had not known about it. Now, the young woman had become even more curious about the story. Had her cousin been lucky with the commander? She had checked Susan Ivanova's profile. She had a very formidable career in the EarthForce. Except of the years 2260-2261 her career had experienced a rocket like ascent from her very first day in the force till the present. It looked like she was determined in her job. Perhaps this stretched even farther and covered all the aspects of her life. Susan's photo in the profile was taken some years ago, probably shortly after being promoted to Captain. She had a sad look in her eyes and the features seemed somewhat austere and hard to read.

Katie wondered whether the Captain would answer her questions if she ever got the opportunity to interview her. Her instincts told her it would be a really difficult task to get solid information. The journalist checked her notebook for any other possible interview partners. Many of Susan Ivanova's and Marcus Cole's friends had left Babylon 5 shortly after the war. Without having the budget to travel back and forth between Earth and B5, Katie was more or less limited to the information she had already gathered or what she could find out on the station. Any time now she would be contacted by her editor in London. Hopefully this guy wouldn't cut down hr budget again. Katie assembled her data files and added some comments where she found them necessary.

Suddenly the Babcom system was activated and an incoming transmission was announced. Katie accepted it and the screen changed from the blue screensaver to the face of a middle aged man with glasses.

"Hello Miss Anderson. How are you these days?"

"Thank you very much, Mr. Bennet. I'm quite busy with interviews and researches these days." Katie answered with a smile.

"I hope so. You already got an advance payment. We have our hopes raised to get your work published by the end of the year."

"I know my deadline, Mr. Bennet. I'm eager to meet it. But I still have some doubts whether or not I'll be able to gather all the information in question only here. I find it necessary to probably travel to Mars and Earth. Two of the main protagonists are residing there."

"Miss Anderson, you already know our limited possibilities to finance these journeys for you. If you can't cover the travel expenses with the payment you already received we have to cope with the lack of the information. We're a small publishing house. We cannot have you wandering off in the galaxy. We have a tight bookkeeping and you're already privileged for a newcomer. You're the first new author at our house who got her money before even sending us some chapters. If it wasn't for your late mother whom I still hold in the highest esteem, you wouldn't even be sitting at that desk right now."

"I know how much I owe to you, Mr. Bennet. But the only thing I want is not to let you and the publishing house down. I want to do my very best and I don't feel very at ease with the situation and the book if I can't gather all facts." Katie explained with pleading eyes. She knew that her editor wasn't an easy negotiation partner. But she very well knew how much he appreciated hard work.

"Katie, don't look like a puppy. I already know you're a good writer and that you are ambitious. But there is very little I can do for you at this moment. Send me the work you have already finished and I will talk to the bosses. Perhaps they will be generous with Bernadette Anderson's daughter." The older man smiled kindly at Katie, whose eyes filled with tears at the mentioning of her mother's name.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Bennet. I will appreciate any help you could give me." She answered.

Only seconds later, the connection was shut down and Katie went back to her files. She chose the next entry on Marcus' Ivanova incidents.

"_So much about dreams coming true. Today is the first day after Susan kissed me, but she seems to not remember it. Or would she have yelled at me already at breakfast if she did remember? I don't know. But what man in this universe can truly claim he really understands a woman and her moods. I would never dare to say such things._

_The captain assigned me and Susan on a mission to Coriana 6 in order to oversee the tidying up of the battlefield. A lot of league ships are assigned to clear the area of any wreckage that could endanger the passage through the local jumpgate. I don't know why we should overlook such a boring task but I guess Captain Sheridan has his reasons. I myself enjoy working with Susan, but she didn't appear to be so happy about our newest assignment. We're leaving in two hours and I should better get some sleep before we leave. I hardly ever get a good night's sleep these days. Either we're fighting battles that decide the fate of the universe, or a certain Commander keeps intruding into my thoughts which cause insomnia. I'm afraid I'm doomed. _

_And I don't know why she yelled at me this morning. Perhaps it was simply for the fact that I'm a morning person whereas she isn't and can't bear to see any smiling faces before she gets her daily dose of caffeine."_

Katie smiled at the humorous way Marcus delivered his every day experience with Susan Ivanova. She had expected something else, when she had heard about his crush on the Commander. She had expected the log entries to be more melancholic or even filled up with frustrated comments about Susan Ivanova. But it seemed like her cousin had carried a good sense of humour. The young journalist wished she had known him. A mournful expression on her face, Katie took a framed photo from her desk. Again she looked into her brother's face. Whenever she listened to Marcus' audio files, she was painfully reminded of her own family's fate. Victor and Marcus sounded so much alike. They both spoke in smooth and deep voices carrying words in the style of their home country on Earth.

A couple of hours and a good sleep later, Katie wandered the corridors of Babylon 5 to her appointed meeting with President Sheridan. Ever since her work on the station had begun, she both anticipated and dreaded the day when she would be finally able to interview the President of the Interstellar Alliance. A lot of journalists on Earth wanted nothing more than a single meeting with the man who was responsible for both the most recent war on Earth and the creation of a peaceful alliance of more than a dozen species. But Katie clearly didn't belong to those journalists. She was more reflective and observant than a sensationalist. Either way, she was too shy to belong to the high profile ISN reporters who wanted nothing more than to poke around in the President's life.

Taking a deep breath, she entered the office.

"Hello Mr. President. I hope you have some time for our little interview."

"Of course, Miss Anderson." He answered and motioned to a chair next to his desk. "Take a seat, please. I heard of the interviews you had with some crew members. I'm really looking forward to your questions."

tbc-

Author's note: Sorry to be so cruel to include this cliffie. But I want to read another chapter or two of "The Lord of the Rings" tonight. So I wasn't able to write more right now.

Thanks fort he reviews and to my two wonderful beta readers.


	6. The forcast of thing to happen

Chapter 6

_Taking a deep breath, she entered the office._

"_Hello Mr. President. I hope you have some time for our little interview."_

"_Of course, Miss Anderson." He answered and motioned to a chair next to his desk. "Take a seat, please. I heard of the interviews you had with some crew members. I'm really looking forward to your questions."_

"So, tell me please, how is your research going Miss Anderson.", asked the President leaning back in his chair.

"I learned some really interesting things." answered Katie with a shy smile.

"Really? You're telling me, our lives here have been interesting?" Sheridan grinned.

"Well, perhaps interesting is a weak word for that particular time, but this is a completely new perspective for me. The whole situation, the confrontation with living legends is something loads of journalists back on Earth would kill for to experience." Katie shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"And you're a very young journalist and a bit overwhelmed by meeting living dinosaurs." Sheridan concluded.

"I would never dare to call the President of the Interstellar Alliance a dinosaur." Katie's eyes widened with shock. She didn't expect Sheridan to be such a humorous and relaxed person. Immediately realizing, that she behaved way to shy and intimidated she put her recorder onto the table and straightened her back.

"Well, Mr. President, I would like to ask you some questions about the years 2260 and 2261."

Sheridan was both amused by her timidity and impressed by the way she tried to appear to be an experienced reporter. "Feel free to ask. What would you like to know?"

"What can _you_ tell me about Marcus Cole? What was it like to work with him?"

President Sheridan thought about this question for a moment, he stared at a blank point at the opposite wall, and then he took a deep breath and leant forward. He put his elbows on the table and met Katie's eyes. "He was very determined and loyal. I'd say he was a great warrior – had he been under my direct command I would call him a great officer. But with the rangers it was a peculiar situation in the beginning. We didn't really know if we could rely on them. Today we know it. And in a way, I knew I could rely on Marcus." Sheridan smiled reminiscently. "Although you could never be sure, what stunt he would pull out next. He was somewhat extreme. Dr. Franklin can fill hours talking about the injuries Marcus received while fighting for the less fortunate people in Down below. Or when he got beaten up by those he wanted to protect. I guess, Marcus was to idealistic from time to time. Oh, and his humour – most of the time he was annoyingly ironic. I guess Ivanova was more than once inclined to cut off his head."

"Do you think they didn't get along with each other?" Katie asked suspiciously.

"There was a strange air about them. He was worshipping her. She was the Juliet to his Romeo performance. Sometimes he acted like a lovesick teenager, but when it came to his responsibilities he was very serious and – well, determined."

"Did there ever happen something between them – romantically?"

"Not that I heard of it. But Delenn and I both hoped for them to come together. Delenn would never have played matchmaker, it's not in her personality to do so. But I think she had her reasons, why she selected Marcus as the station ranger. I have a feeling, she knew about the chemistry between them earlier than the rest of us."

"So it was a stressful atmosphere to work with them?" Katie asked curiously.

"It is always stressful to have an over protective second in command. Susan was such a person. In the beginning, when Marcus came to B5, she didn't trust him. Then she was afraid he and Delenn would bring me into dangerous, even life threatening situations. Those fears haven't been unfounded, but I drew my proper decisions. And well, you always have to live with your decisions." Sheridan paused to concentrate on the same spot on the wall as before.

"You have to know Susan was a horribly mistrustful person. Having an intruder on board whose loyalty was unclear was a most irritating situation to her. But even when she knew that Marcus could be very well trusted, she couldn't let go off her own barriers. Only in the last weeks of the campaign against Clark she became a bit friendlier to him. I have no idea what changed her mind, but Delenn told me about it. I was absent those days."

Katie didn't dig deeper into this statement. She very well knew that Sheridan meant his time in the hands of Clark's men. Awkward silence filled the room. Neither the President nor Katie wanted to be reminded of any of the things that happened in Clark's prisons. Sheridan was a survivor, but both Katie's parents had died in one of those.

"I'd love to meet Susan Ivanova in real life. I heard so much about her. She must be a very interesting person." Katie tried to change the topic.

"Well, then I can provide you with the opportunity of your life. Her ship is to come to Babylon 5 soon. They'll have new materials and some new personnel to take on board in about two weeks. I have seen the schedule. They will be here for about one week."

"How do you feel about seeing her again? I heard she has never again sat a foot on B5 since 2261." asked Katie before even realizing that she could probably complete her research with an interview of Susan Ivanova.

"I'm looking forward to seeing her, of course." Sheridan answered with a broad smile. "It's almost four years by now." His happy expression diminished a bit. "It'll be a happy day when I see her again. But it must feel strange to her, to come back. In our Medlab, there is a cryo-unit where Marcus still lies. She ordered to keep him there, till a medication can be found to reanimate him. To be honest, I don't think it will ever be found. But Susan is very stubborn and she didn't want to give up on her friend.

I only think it will be so awkward for her, to come her knowing he_ is _here, too."

"He is on Babylon 5?" Katie asked shocked.

"Didn't you know? I thought you talked to Dr. Franklin before you came here." Answered Sheridan surprised.

"He didn't really tell me anything about the circumstances of Marcus' death, or near death." Katie couldn't cover her confusion. "Could I see him?"

"I don't think it would be wise to do so. I also think Susan has banned anyone from this unit. In her order she disposed that no one has the right to open the unit or change any settings." Seeing the disappointment in Katie's eyes Sheridan added. "But I will do everything I can to convince Susan to talk to you. Perhaps she even wants to meet you, as a relative of Marcus, although I wouldn't bet on this possibility."

Half an hour later Katie left the President's office and went to the Zocalo. She felt like she needed a really big cup of coffee. She was overwhelmed and terrified by the thought that her cousin still was on the station, less than a few miles from her away. She knew he was dead or at least frozen – the young journalist still didn't know if it was the same or if there was a difference in both conditions – but knowing she could at least have a look at him. Katie was very confused. She didn't really take her surroundings into account and was surprised when she reached the Zocalo. In her memory the way from the green sector to the Zocalo had been much longer.

She quickly glanced over the huge market area and looked for a café or restaurant where she wanted to relax for a while. Not daring to test something new she approached her usual little café and sat down. Playing with the recording device in her hands she got lost in her thoughts.

"What a surprise to see you here." An ironically joking voice appeared behind Katie. She turned around and faced Lt. Cmdr. Corwin. A smile spread on her face as she answered "I really needed my daily cup of coffee – or at least something similar to coffee."

Corwin smiled at her and said "You know whom you have to ask for the real stuff." Katie thought about it for a second and looked at the young man with a teasing grin.

"I don't know if I'm brave enough to step so close to illegality." She gestured him to sit down. "So, did you go looking for me or is this really a coincidence?"

"Not really. I wanted to see how your work is going and if you are well accustomed to the station." He answered, but Katie somehow knew that he didn't tell the whole truth.

"I'm fine with my research. I indeed found out more than I expected in first place. Even my editor is quite decent. He gave me more time on the station. He'll try to postpone the closing date for my manuscript." She told him and started to play with her recorder, again.

"Do you want to interview me again?" asked Corwin with a wink to the recorder.

"Oh, no, I guess I was just lost in my thoughts." She lied. She was really nervous. There was no reason and no pretext for her to see the First Officer of Babylon 5. She enjoyed his company, Katie felt as if the ice began to melt. Their paths had crossed quite some times since she has been living on B5. Nevertheless it made her nervous to just sit there with a handsome young man and not having any idea what to talk about with him. She had spend pretty much of her adult life working, without wasting her time and creativity on guys who wanted to take her out on dates. Now she was sitting in a café on the most famous space station (wasn't it the only space station worth mentioning?) and the first officer of said space station was trying to have a chat with her. Never in her life did Katie feel more insecure and shy than at this moment. Al her confidence was gone. Feverishly did she think about some intelligent things to tell Corwin.

"Did you know that Captain Ivanova will come to B5 in only a few weeks time?"

"Oh, last I heard about it was, that she didn't want to come back but the HQ made her change the flight plan. I would completely understand it if she doesn't want to set a foot on these so called grounds." Corwin played with the leaf of a synthetic plant on the table, a part of the decoration at the café.

"I hope to get an interview with her." Katie pondered. "Do you think it will be difficult to ask her?"

Corwin smiled at Katie. "You could always ask. That won't be a great deal for you. The only problem will be, if she accepts it. I have seen her around journalists."

Katie watched him nervously. "To put it decent, she's not a great supporter of your line of business. But I think a nice person like you can achieve a lot with just one smile." Corwin said with a cock of the eye.

"_Did he just call me a nice person?"_ Katie thought. _"This must be about the most discouraging description you can ever get from a man."_

Instead she answered a little sharper than she intended "I don't think a smile brought me to Babylon 5. It has a lot to do with competence and hard work. With these qualities I will also have my interview with Captain Ivanova."

Katie grabbed her notebook and her recorder and wanted to leave. But Corwin touched her hand at the same moment. "What is wrong, Katie? Did I say something to upset you?" He asked her in a worried voice.

"What did you just call me?" Katie asked instead of an answer. He just had canted all formalities overboard and addressed her by her given name. When he met Katie's suspicious gaze, he tried to apology for his brisk behaviour. "I'm sorry, Miss Anderson. I simply didn't want you to leave. And if I have upset you, I'm also really sorry. Although I don't have the slightest idea what I have done wrong."

"It's okay. You may call me Katie if you want. And what I wanted to tell you: I'm not necessarily a _nice_ person. Maybe I'm not as bitchy as a lot of journalists that came here before, but never underestimate a reporter. It could easily backfire at you."

"Katie, I didn't call the journalist a nice person. I thought of the person I saw in front of me. And you _are _nice, among other things." Corwin smiled at her. Only then did they both realize that he still held her hand. Quickly, in order not to upset Katie again, he removed his hand and continued to play nervously with the little leaf. He cleared his throat and looked shyly at Katie. With an unsure voice he finally asked "Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Katie stared back at Corwin surprised. "Having dinner with you as in going out on a date?" Corwin nodded.

"David, this is a real surprise to me." Katie fought an internal battle with herself. On the one hand she knew she wouldn't stay forever on B5, so why waste her time on a romantic interlude? On the other hand she felt attracted by the good mannered officer. So she finally answered "Pick me up at 8 pm?" with a nervous and insecure smile. She wanted to leave the café as quickly as possible as she felt herself blushing. Katie got up from her chair and left a grinning Earth Force Lt. Cmdr.

tbc

Thanks to all my reviewers and I'm so sorry for the delay! Hope you will forgive me. Stay tuned, another chapter is on the way :-)

LaDiNi: As much as I learned from the last episodes of Babylon 5, they more or less all left the station shortly after 2260, so in 2265 only few of the original crew lives there. Perhaps I'll include some Lochley (although I don't like her that much)

Noivilbo: Of course, Katie knew Delenn and Sheridan from photographs and TV. But it's always something completely different to see such people in real life - believe me, I experienced it on my own. You have a certain expectin about what it will be like to talk to them, but when it really happens it's totally different. That's why she reacted the way she actually did :-)

Owlx: Sorry to let you wait for such a long time. And I didn't only read LotR, but had a lot of other stuff going on. Hope the next chapter won't take so long.


	7. The end draws closer

Chapter 7

Katie looked into the mirror. She had dark circles beneath her eyes, showing her long nights of writing and research work. The most recent developments had kept her from sleeping a good night's sleep for weeks.

President Sheridan had finally informed her about the arrival of Captain Ivanova – which was scheduled later that day. Feverishly had Katie thrown herself deep into data on the famous EarthForce officer. Not only was the official data on Ivanova of interest, but also every little bit Marcus Cole had mentioned on his records; watching them occupied a large part of Katie's working time. As each passing second drew her closer to Ivanova's arrival Katie also knew that her time on Babylon 5 was drawing to a close. The information she could possibly gain from the captain would certainly complete her research.

On the one hand, Katie was very happy to meet her editor's deadline. On the other hand, she would really regret having to leave the station. Never would she forget the wonderful time she had spent with David Corwin in the last few weeks.

"_You're very punctual." said Katie as she opened the door to her quarters. _

"_I spent a long time in Earth Force. Believe me; it comes very handy to be punctual, no matter who's in command of the station." David answered smilingly. "And my father told me never to let a beautiful woman wait to long for you to pick her up on a first date."_

"_Ah, so if we're having a second date, I couldn't count on your punctuality?" Katie teased._

"_Well, you would still be beautiful. For me that is reason enough for punctuality. And I'm afraid we have to get going right now. I reserved a table for 8pm. They won't keep it for long." The young man explained as he walked Katie to the restaurant._

_When they arrived at the restaurant, Katie took in her surroundings. _

"_This is amazing.", she said breathless. She was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place. "I didn't expect such a big place."_

"_Welcome to the Fresh Air, Katie." Corwin said and explained "It's difficult to get a table at dinner time." He guided Katie to a small table. "But I have my connections.", he added with a small grin._

"_Ah, so the commander wants to impress the little journalist who's never been to a space station like this before.", she mocked him._

"_I'd never do something like this.", he answered in a similar mocking way. Then he added with a serious voice "But it's difficult not to try to impress on a gorgeous woman."_

_Katie blushed slightly. This wasn't exactly what she expected from this date. A little flirting was okay with her, but she was a bit unsure how to react to this. So she simply grabbed the menu and started to read it._

"_I'm sorry, if I'm a bit too direct.", Corwin tried to lighten the atmosphere. "But I'm not used to things like these." He watched Katie and added "You kind of make me nervous."_

_Katie answered with a hint of surprise in her voice "There's no need to be nervous." She tried to bring back the happy atmosphere from their casual meetings at the café "We're just having dinner. And at one point or the other, we'll throw in some light conversation trying to get to know to each other."_

_And her plan went fine. The rest of the evening passed by without any further embarrassing incidents. They talked about the past, their respective homes and other casual topics. At a quite late hour, they left the restaurant._

"_May I walk you back to your quarters?", Corwin asked politely._

"_I'd love you to walk me home. I don't want to get lost here.", Katie answered smilingly. In silence they walked to the nearest lift to bring them to green sector. _

_When they arrived in front of Katie's quarters an awkward silence settled in between them, which Corwin broke by saing "It was a really enjoyable evening with you, Katie. I'd love to repeat this." He smiled down at her._

"_Yes, I enjoyed it, too. I guess, we'll meet again on the Zocalo.", she suggested._

"_What about tomorrow after my shift?", Corwin asked hopefully._

"_I'll try to reserve some time for you." Katie started to get nervous again. "But I can't promise anything. I'm having a tight schedule and a deadline to meet."_

"_It's okay.", Corwin answered and placed a small kiss on her cheek. "Good night, Katie."_

"_Good nigh, David."_

At the thought of her first date with David Katie smiled. He was a nice guy, and she really would miss him, when she returned to Earth. But she was sure to leave Babylon 5 soon. But before this could happen, she was keen to meet Commander Ivanova.

She wanted to confront the Captain with some details from the data files. Not in a way to embarrass the officer, more in a way to find out more about her time with Marcus. Sighing Katie sat down in front of her computer and played with her own voice recorder. She had also collected audio files of her own. Thoughts, impressions and ideas for the book she had already started to write. Her families' ties to Marcus were well arranged in the book as well as some stories her parents had once told her about Marcus' family. She so far had avoided revealing any real names as she didn't know what Captain Ivanova thought about such a step. Another reason, why the young journalist wanted to meet her. She wanted to make sure; she agreed to publish her friend's story.

To be well prepared for the possible meeting she opened Marcus' data files again. She had almost finished the list, only a few files from late 2261 were left. She switched on a file with the title "Mars 1"

"_We have the Mars separatists on our side, finally. It did cost us some time and a lot of nerves, but Stephen and I were succesful in our mission. I can't wait any longer to return to Babylon 5, although I know that this will mark the point where the final step in this war will be taken. Soon, we'll be facing another battle with an unsure outcome._

_Can you imagine this? They haven't even heard of the Shadow War here. We're heroes and no one knows about it. But I think… that is my destiny._

_In the last few days I had to suffer a lot – not necessarily physically but rather emotionally. I know, it is somewhat childish to mention it, but it annoys me._

_Stephen and Number 1 of the Mars resistance – a beautiful blonde woman by the way – had a little romance going on while we were planet side. Isn't the universe unfair? I had to think about Susan a lot. Perhaps, when everything is over – the war, Clark, and whatever catastrophe is still hiding from us but approaching silently – I'll work up the courage to ask her out. That means, if I'm lucky enough to survive this insanity again. Well, I hope so. If I have to die an early death, then only because of Susan. She will surely chew me head off when I ask her out._

_But it would be worth it. For her, I'd go through hell."_

Katie had a tear in the corner of her eye as the monologue ended. _This is love, so pure and true. He would have deserved a happy ending._ She thought about her cousin. But in the end he had fulfilled his own prophecy. He went trough hell for Susan. Then she thought about her own life and her situation. Would she ever find someone she could love so much? Her thoughts trailed of to another man with a similar voice. Her brother had been a lot like what she had learned about Marcus. Idealistic, ironic and with a very noble voice. Katie sighed and concentrated on the task at hand.

Two entries were left on the list. She decided to finish her research right now, before she could try to interview Captain Ivanova.

_The last mission_

"_I want to record this, in case we're facing more problems than expected on our way to Earth. The captain is still in the hands of Clark's forces. Susan is so enraged about this development, I fear she will do something stupid. But I'll be with her on this mission. I'll try to see her through this situation._

_At the moment she is sleeping. We're about 2 hours away from a possible trap. We got information, that a special fleet was sent out to hinder us from approaching Mars. I have a terribly bad feeling about this. So I want to make sure, if anyone finds this file, that I said everything that has to be said._

_I made some mistakes in my life and I fought for the wrong reasons. I joined the Rangers out of guilt and desperation. Today I know that I am supposed to fight for a higher, far nobler reason. I do it to bring justice and equality, no matter what I myself have to sacrifice. I'm a lucky person; I have an ideal to look upon. I hope that Delenn and Sheridan can fulfil their destiny and bring peace and freedom to our corner in the universe._

_I'd love to see Earth, a peaceful Earth. But if I won't survive this battle, I'll die with the impression of a snowy St.Petersburg. That's what Susan told me about her home._

_If I don't survive, I'll only regret one thing. That I never acted on my feelings for Susan. I hope she'll live to see peace, freedom and a better place than this._

_My only last comment: I'm living for the one and I'm dying for the one."_

Not taking a break, Katie opened the last file. It looked like a farewell note. She heard Marcus' voice that sounded broken and hurt.

"_There's no other way. I have to try it. I'm going to Babylon 5 to find this Alien machine. I have to save her. I can't go on without her. Why does this always happen?_

_They said… she won't survive this week. I can't let her go. I can't let her die. Not after everything we went through. If it costs my own life, I would give it to her._

_My angel, my red headed angel, stay strong! You have to live._

_I lived according to the principle: I'm living for the one and I'm dying for the one. I still do. Only the one is someone else. It's only her, Susan Ivanova._

_The woman I love."_

The computer screen went black and a voice told Katie, that all files on the data crystal had been played. The young journalist wiped away the tears, that came streaming down her cheeks.

She had came to Babylon 5 in order to tell the story of a brave man, who had died for freedom and peace. The story of a Ranger who still weren't so well known on Earth.

Instead, it appeared as if Katie had uncovered a sad and heart wrenching love story. A story that even Old Shakespeare couldn't have written more dramatically.

Feverishly she started to write down, what she had revealed so far.

_I have to meet Captain Ivanova. She must have these data crystals. It's her, who should have them._

tbc

Authors note: a very long time and only such a short update. I'm really sorry. But my thesis keeps me very busy at university. But I'll continue the story as often and regular as I can.

Next chapter in progress: Susan Ivanova arrives at Babylon 5...surprise ahead...and the end of the story draws closer (one or two chapters to go)

Im thinking about a sequel...what do you think about it?


	8. Facing the truth

Chapter 8

Facing the truth

Captain Ivanova had arrived at Babylon 5 some time ago and could not be found anywhere on the station. At least she could not be found by Katie. The young woman strolled along some corridors and headed to the President's office where she hoped to get an interview date with Susan Ivanova.

Already in the hall she could overhear a heated discussion.

"_Why would I want do meet with a journalist?", asked a woman's voice._

"_She's his cousin…give her a chance. She doesn't appear like the reporters we've met before." the president's voice answered._

"_So what…she claims to be his cousin. Why should I feel obligated to meet his family? Why should I talk about – this?" her voice was full of anger. "I didn't come here to chitchat with some teenage reporter who spent half her life in a library crying over her oh so bad life."_

"_Susan, you're a bit too sarcastic here. I checked her story – twice. Even the Rangers approved of her and her history."_

"_Okay, the Rangers approved of her? I don't give a damn to their approval…", the female voice broke._

"_It's okay, Susan. You don't have to talk to her if you don't want to. I just, well, I kind of already promised it to her," the president answered._

"_You what?" The woman quickened her pace as she walked around in the President's office. "I can't believe you really did this."_

Before the argument could go any further, Katie decided to enter the office. She simply stood in the doorframe and cleared her throat. The young woman was a little intimidated by what she had heard.

"I'm sorry to interfere, Mr. President. But I thought we had an appointment." she said and watched the other woman curiously. _"She's not really red headed. But I guess that depends on the light…"_ she thought, but quickly looked at President Sheridan.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Anderson. I forgot about that particular appointment." He lied, and both women knew it. "Well, as you're both already here…I'd like to introduce you to Katie Anderson." he said to the other woman. Then he pointed at her and told Katie. "Miss Anderson, this is Captain Susan Ivanova. "

Katie nodded with a smile but was answered by an unfriendly frown. "Miss Anderson, I truly accept your work and interest in the war. But I won't talk about my personal life with you – or any other journalist or historian for that matter," she declared.

Katie nodded, slightly disappointed. "Well, I understand your motives, considering the nature of your relationship."

Susan watched the young girl curiously. "What are you implying?", she asked with a threatening undertone.

"I don't imply anything, ma'am. I only did my research and I wanted you to have the chance to tell your side of the story." Katie answered and withstood Susan Ivanova's stare. "I have some personal recordings of Marcus Cole which – I think – could be of interest for you." She turned to leave. "If you want to have them back, I live in sector green. The name is Katie Anderson." With these words she left the office.

She had a bad feeling about this. Would Susan Ivanova agree to the interview? She didn't think she would. She had been too bold, way too bold.

A little later, Katie sat in her room, playing with a data crystal. One of those crystals she wanted to give back to the Captain. _"If they really belong to her, I have to give them back._"

Nevertheless did she have to finish her report and so she continued to work at her manuscript. She had to meet her deadline and still an important part to the puzzle was missing. She skipped through her files and notes and started to write a concluding chapter that kept her glued to the computer screen for quite some hours.

"_I've spent the last few weeks on Babylon 5, the great mysterious and somewhat cloaked in secrecy space station my family told me about when I was small child._

_Coming here wasn't only for research reasons, but I wanted to feel the mystery and hope and spirit that always mingle with rational reports. This is not only a space station, it is a symbol for what the Interstellar Alliance is, what mankind could be and what we ourselves bring with us when we arrive."_

"God, this sounds so cheesy." Katie said to herself, but saved the copy anyways. "Perhaps the readers like such stuff. I'll leave it that way for the moment. Perhaps I come up with something better in the future."

She got up from the desk and walked over to the kitchenette where she wanted to prepare some coffee – although it wasn't the real stuff.

"Maybe I should meet David again, soon. I ran out of coffee." She mumbled when she tasted the fake coffee. She stared into her coffee mug when suddenly the doorbell chimed.

"Enter." She said curiously and wondered who could want to see her at this relatively late hour.

The door opened and a stern looking Susan Ivanova walked in.

"Captain Ivanova, what a surprise." Katie did greet her surprise visitor.

"This won't take long, Miss Anderson." Susan answered and watched Katie curiously. "You do bear some resemblance with Marcus." She admitted with only a hint of a smile.

"Thank you, Captain. I guess I could take this as a compliment." Katie answered smilingly and added "Although I have to say, I thought you were a redhead judging from Marcus' data files. He described you as one."

"Really? I have no idea why he would think such a thing." Susan stood still in the middle of thee room, her only motion were her wandering eyes taking in all details of Katie's quarters. "Well, I didn't come here for a little chitchat. I wanted to inform you, that I still won't contribute my personal view on Marcus to your report. I'm not willing to let others know what I think about the Rangers for a security reason." The captain explained.

"Well, I could leave out your name and just include the information without mentioning the source." Katie offered.

"This doesn't sound very professional to me, Miss Anderson."

"Oh no, it's very common not to name your sources for their own privacy and security, Captain."

"But still, at least my friends and colleagues would know that this information came from me. I don't want that. I'm sorry; Miss Anderson, but I really can't help you here." Susan said.

Katie sighed reluctant to give up so easily. She was impressed how calm and collected this Susan Ivanova appeared. After all she heard about this woman she had expected her to be a little more vivid and agitated. The woman she saw standing in her quarters appeared to be absolutely indifferent to what she planned to publish.

"Well, I guess, you want the data crystals. After all you are the only person who should have them." Katie offered and walked to her desk. "I made copies of the files important for my work. But as you don't want to be included I'll block those parts mentioning you in case my publisher wants to listen to the files." She took the original crystals and put them in the small wooden case and handed it to Susan.

She took it reluctantly and watched the case carefully. Then she faced Katie "You know I came here for one reason. I want to leave the past behind. This won't help me." The captain explained and looked away from Katie's green eyes. They reminded her of Marcus.

"I want to switch off the cryo unit. He doesn't deserve to be put there forever. He should find his peace, and I should find mine."

"What? But, that means, he would die." Katie exclaimed with horror in her voice.

"This isn't sure. If there is a possibility for him to come back to this world, he should get it now, neither in 10 years nor in 100. He's already leaving this world behind him. I can't leave him in there half dead, half frozen forever. It's unethical."

"But why now?"

"It already took me almost four years to realize what a mistake it was to freeze him. I only want to set things right now. I just wanted to inform you, as you are a relative. But please, don't get in my way here." Susan's voice almost had a soft tone when she said this.

"Don't worry. I think that Marcus wouldn't want anyone to interfere with your plans and wishes." Katie answered. But still her thoughts were mayhem. "But may I see him, before you switch off the machines?"

"I don't know. I wanted to do this on my own, only Doctor Franklin and me."

"The doctor will be here?" Katie asked curiously, Susan only nodded. "I suggest you leave Babylon 5 before we shut down the cryo unit. You haven't met Marcus while he was alive. Only seeing him die would add a very bitter note to your report or book or whatever you're really working at. Describe him only in a light and heroic tone, not under the depressing experience of him dying."

Katie wanted to say that she was a real journalist and that she knew what she was doing. But facing Susan Ivanova made her realise that she couldn't possibly interfere in this private moment. "Of course, I'll respect your wish, Captain Ivanova. I have to meet a deadline anyways. I just postponed my return to Earth to get the chance to talk to you."

"Thank you, Miss Anderson." Susan said and turned to leave. "You're not like Marcus. Your only resemblance is your eyes." The captain said before leaving. "But that's not supposed to mean you're not a kind person. I couldn't stand him most of the time he was around."

Katie watched Susan Ivanova leave. "This woman is unbelievable. She asks me to leave? And I said yes?" Katie wondered but started to pack nevertheless. "So, that's it. I'll return to Earth, finish my book, get it published and the adventure of Babylon 5 is simply over."

To be finished soon…

**Authors note:**

Thank you my dear BETA **fonduedjicama**….Thank you for your betaing and staying on board with me here. It's almost done. And I love reading your stuff so much that it always keeps me away from writing myself.

**Hilary Weston** and all the others who corrected me on Susans hair colour. I hope you like my way of solving the issue. )

To** Ninni**: I'm really disappointed you were anonymous. But anyways, I want to answer your doubts in my abilities as a writer.

A) Katie is no saint who'll save them all. What kind of stories do you usually read? Btw, there are only two persons who know the end of my story…

B) Your complaint about Marcus' emotional last entry…well, do you know how you'll react when you know you'll probably die within the next few hours? I pictured this prospect as being rather horrifying…

C) What made you think, Katie will end up with Corwin…never heard of casual dating? Sometimes that's what a reporter has to do to get access to information … yes; I know what I'm talking about here…

D) The Mary Sue tendencies of Katie…the only thing that I (as of now) dislike about her, is the name…as Katie has a rather girlie and not so serious connotation.

But what's wrong with an upper class upbringing and an elite education? (Two friends inspired me here. One being an alumni of Duke University in the US and the other currently studying in Oxford, England)

Apart from this, taking in the time frame we're dealing with in a Babylon 5 universe, it would be more unrealistic not to have her in any way connected to the things Clark caused on Earth. Why should she be interested in Marcus anyways if he wasn't a part of her family?

Okay, enough of this. I hope you all like this chapter. There's only one left. Perhaps it will only be an epilogue, as I want to leave something out for a sequel.


End file.
